BOSTON—Catherine E. Greig was sentenced
today in U.S. District Court for her role in harboring and concealing one of
the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted fugitives, James J. “Whitey” Bulger.
In March 2012, Greig, 61, pleaded guilty
to conspiracy to harbor a fugitive, conspiracy to commit identity fraud, and
identity fraud. Today, U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock sentenced Greig
in the District of Massachusetts to eight years in prison, fined her $150,000,
and ordered her to serve three years of supervised release.
“We are pleased with today’s sentence,
one of the longest sentences ever imposed for a harboring charge,” said U.S.
Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Carmen M. Ortiz. “While Ms. Greig
may claim that she harbored Mr. Bulger for 16 years out of love, love is no
excuse for committing crimes. The felonies that she now stands convicted of
impacted the lives of many, and she is now paying the price for her actions.”
“Today, and previously throughout these
proceedings, we saw the palpable hurt and pain caused to the families of those
harmed by Ms. Greig’s crimes as they waited patiently for justice to be
served,“ said Richard Deslauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston
Division of the FBI. “Though the Bulger Task Force’s search for Ms. Greig was
long and arduous, it was persistent and uncompromising. We did not deviate from
our course because we knew from experience that for each and every fugitive,
there is a victim of a crime. Each day a fugitive eludes justice is a long day
for the victims of their crimes who agonize that while the fugitive enjoys
freedom, they remain locked in a state of fear and anguish.”
“As I have said before, although there
are those who doubted the FBI’s resolve, it never wavered. We followed every
lead, we explored every possibility and when those ran out we did not sit back
and wait for the phone to ring. As a result of that unyielding tenacity, I am
proud to say the FBI and its Bulger Task Force partners fulfilled their promise
to the families victimized by Ms. Greig’s crimes. Today’s sentence demonstrates
that justice for Ms. Greig has been served.”
U.S. Marshal John Gibbons said, “The
United States Marshals Service was happy to take part in the apprehension of
Ms. Greig and James “Whitey” Bulger. We hope that today’s verdict sends a
strong message to anyone considering harboring fugitives that this sort of
crime will not be tolerated.”
“Catherine Greig aided a violent
criminal in delaying justice, causing the families of his victims continued
pain and suffering. As the judicial process goes forward, hopefully those
families will find some small solace,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge
Kevin Lane of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
William P. Offord, Special Agent in
Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation said, “The sentencing of Catherine Greig
brings to a close a chapter of one of the most notorious criminal cases in
Boston’s recent history. IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to have provided
its investigative skills to the law enforcement partnership that has brought
this case to a successful conclusion.”
From January 1995 through June 22, 2011,
Greig conspired with Bulger to take steps to prevent his discovery and arrest,
this after learning that a warrant had been issued for his apprehension. Greig
and Bulger posed as a married couple under different false identities. They
obtained multiple means of identification to conceal their true identities,
purchased necessary goods and services such as prescription medication, paid
bills under an assumed name, and shopped for groceries and other necessities
while living together.
Furthermore, Greig illegally obtained
and used multiple identification documents, including Social Security numbers,
drivers’ licenses, and birth certificates of other real persons with intent to
create false identities. Additionally, authorities seized more than $820,000
cash and 30 firearms hidden inside the apartment shared by Greig and Bulger.
U.S. Attorney Ortiz; Special Agent in
Charge DesLauriers; U.S. Marshal Gibbons; Special Agent in Charge Offord;
Acting Special Agent in Charge Lane; Commissioner Luis S. Spencer of the
Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Colonel Marian McGovern,
Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts would also like to
acknowledge and thank the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector
General and the Los Angeles offices of the U.S. Attorney and FBI.
The case was prosecuted by First
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack W. Pirozzolo; Assistant U.S. Attorney James D.
Herbert, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of
Massachusetts’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary
B. Murrane, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of
Massachusetts’s Asset Forfeiture Unit.
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